Where To Retire In Florida (Paperback)

~ Richard Fox (Author), Betty Fox (Author) "While travelogues have no doubt been made without the producer having stepped foot on the subject soil, that is not how this book came into..." (more)
Key Phrases: Florida Price Level Index, Smart Shopper Tip, Winter Spring Summer Fall Normal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Florida attracts more retirees than any other state--450,000-plus during the latest census. Many times that number are currently considering such a move.

About the Author

For nearly a decade, Richard and Betty Fox have traveled the country in search of attractive retirement towns. From Key West to the San Juan Islands of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, and from San Diego to Maine's rugged coast, the Foxes have crisscrossed the country, logging thousands of miles in their quest to discover America's very best places to retire. Along the way, their work has appeared regularly in Where To Retire magazine, and they have become recognized authorities on the subject of retirement places.

While researching this book, Richard and Betty personally inspected more than 125 Florida cities and towns, conducting hundreds of interviews with relocated retirees and knowledgeable local officials. Natives of North Carolina, the Foxes still call the Tarheel State home, but their work keeps them on the move.

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Vacation Publications (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964421666
• ISBN-13: 978-0964421660
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #607,577 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to places to retire to in Florida, December 15, 2001

By A Customer

The authors, Richard and Betty Fox, make clear their preferences while letting the reader form his/her own. The demographic and other factual info helps the reader find the places worth more research before making a trip to checkout a place firsthand. The factual info also helps eliminate places based on cost of living or type of housing or the lack of some required amenity --- golf, boating, fishing, shopping, restaurants, etc.

My husband and I used this book to help us find a place to retire to in Florida. We had already lived in Boca Raton, FL in the mid-90's and knew we did not want to retire to Boca (despite the Foxes high rating), but we definitely wanted to return to Florida.

Based on the Fox's book, we checked out a number of places on the Gulf Coast, but the "feel" wasn't right for us. So, we planned a second trip to the Atlantic/East Coast (our preference all along, but we were trying to keep an open mind) and found a place that meets our needs.

The book's map was helpful in locating the places discussed in the book as well as seeing the relative positions of places in Florida. Keeping all those Palm-something places and Winter-something places in their proper location is tough for those unfamiliar with Florida geography. The map and the description pages helped.

I recommend hooking up with a realtor either before you get to the area you want to know better or soon after you arrive in town. If the realtor doesn't seem right to you, move on to another. Explain you're not buying this time around; you're just checking the place out and then buy her/him lunch for helping you get to know the place.

If you like the area, look at a few houses to get the feel for the relationship between external and internal appearances and price. If you don't like the area, don't waste your time looking at housing. Move on till you find a community that works for you.

I recommend this book for any retiree considering a move to Florida. I also recommend doing additional research on the Web to get more info about the places that appeal to you before spending money and time visiting.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Highly biased & out of date, March 9, 2003

By A Customer

My husband and I needed to relocate to a mild climate for health reasons. Bought this book and others and decided to look at Florida. We drove the entire state, investigating dozens of communities based upon features listed in this book. Sadly, the book is very outdated --- probably a given since FL is growing so fast. And the biases of the authors towards golfing and upscale shopping made their ratings of the various communities highly biased. What they liked, we hated. After months of personal investigation, we'll be settling in a community that's not on their favorites list. To each his own. The book might be more helpful if it was updated every year. As it is, the statistics are meaningless and misleading.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book for Florida Retirees!, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

After reading seven other books about retiring in Florida, I stumbled upon this one. I wish I had seen it first. It provides an outstanding overview of retirement locations throughout Florida with detailed information regarding health care availability, safety, water quality, churches, traffic, local politics and many other categories. The format is outstanding as well - very nicely organized and easy to use.